Back then, Master Zhou had come eagerly to report the follow-up on the Secretariat Editor Liu incident.
No one expected the girl to have such a sharp memory—she had recalled every single word Master Zhou said without missing a beat.
Even including the coughing sounds.
The maid coughed repeatedly, caught between amusement and exasperation.
Meanwhile, Cheng Jiao-niang was still earnestly answering Qin Shi’san-lang’s questions.
“I don’t know,” she shook her head. “I didn’t ask my uncle.”
“Then how…?” Qin Shi’san-lang began, slightly puzzled, but stopped mid-sentence.
Rap… cough cough…
At this point, the maid could no longer bear to listen to the two of them dissecting that particular word. She let out two loud, deliberate coughs.
A flicker of embarrassment crossed Qin Shi’san-lang’s face, but then he couldn’t help a stifled laugh, quickly raising a hand to cover it.
“What is it?” Cheng Jiao-niang asked, looking at him.
Her expression was blank, her eyes wide. Though she appeared somewhat dull-witted, there was an unusual charm about her.
Being stared at by her like this, Qin Shi’san-lang felt an inexplicable warmth soften his heart, and the laughter he had been suppressing could no longer be held back—it spilled out in great, unrestrained peals.
Cheng Jiao-niang stopped questioning him and simply watched.
“Don’t look at me anymore,” Qin Shi’san-lang said with a laugh, turning his head away as his laughter grew even more uncontrollable.
When he turned back, sure enough, the young lady had shifted her gaze out the window.
How could such a person exist in this world? How could there be someone so… utterly delightful!
She was clearly cunning and ruthless, clearly cold and unfeeling—and yet, she somehow made people feel such pure joy!
Qin Shi’san-lang’s laughter became even more irrepressible. He had to brace himself against the windowsill to steady himself.
This was the second time tonight he had laughed so wildly, so freely—what sheer exhilaration!
“Young Master Qin, you’re still laughing!” The maid couldn’t hold back any longer. “This is all your fault!”
Meanwhile, Cheng Jiao-niang stood up.
“I’m going back,” she said.
Qin Shi’san-lang hurriedly stifled his laughter.
Was she embarrassed and annoyed by his laughter?
He quickly straightened up.
“I won’t laugh anymore, I promise,” he said. “That ‘coughed word’ wasn’t anything specific—it’s just that the term was vulgar. Master Zhou cut himself off mid-sentence, afraid of offending you, so he covered it with a cough.”
Why even explain?! This explanation only makes it worse!
The maid stamped her foot and glared.
Cheng Jiao-niang glanced at him, gave an indifferent “Oh,” and began walking away.
“If you’re truly upset, I’ll apologize,” Qin Shi’san-lang added, quickly stepping forward to follow her.
“There’s nothing to be upset about,” Cheng Jiao-niang replied. “I just want to go back. I’ve seen everything worth seeing.”
She turned her head for a final glance—fireworks still bloomed in the sky, the sound of drums, music, and laughter filling the air with noise and cheer.
Wang Shi-qi-lang ultimately failed to catch up. By the time he managed to push his way to Desheng Pavilion, Lady Zhu had already disembarked and gone upstairs to entertain the pre-booked noble guests.
The tower remained lively and bustling, but Wang Shi’qi could no longer catch a glimpse of the beauty.
“Young Master, they say we don’t have a reserved private room!” his attendant shouted. “Who was supposed to book it for you?”
“One of the pavilion’s maids,” Wang Shi’qi replied listlessly, waving a hand dismissively. “Forget it, it doesn’t matter. We can’t see her anyway. Let’s just go.”
Dejected, he trudged toward the exit—only for his attendant to suddenly let out a horrified shriek, startling him so badly he nearly tripped.
“What the hell are you screaming for?!” Wang Shi’qi roared angrily.
“Young Master—where’s Lady Cheng?!” the attendant cried, his face pale with panic.
Wang Shi’qi froze, then slapped his thigh in sudden realization.
The rest of the entourage erupted into chaos, frantically scanning the crowd—but the sea of people made searching hopeless.
“Which young lady are you talking about?”
The attendant being questioned looked utterly confused.
“So many guests come to this place—how would we know who you mean?”
“She’s beautiful, doesn’t talk much, seems a bit slow, and has two maids and a servant with her…” the servant hastily described.
Only after Wang Shi’qi flung out a handful of reward money did someone finally recall.
“Ah, you’re Young Master Wang, right?” the attendant asked.
Wang Shi’qi nodded eagerly.
“That young lady asked me to tell you she left first,” the attendant said, grinning as he patted his sleeve. “Not bad for tonight—getting paid twice just for passing on a message.”
She left?
Being abandoned like this—no wonder she got angry and left.
But at least she left on her own. Better that than being kidnapped.
He’d heard that during festivals in the capital, kidnappers were everywhere, especially targeting children of wealthy families. And this Lady Cheng, being a bit slow, would’ve been an easy target.
“Such an unruly woman!” Wang Shi’qi grew even more irritated, grumbling angrily. “Couldn’t she just wait here properly? If she misses these lanterns, don’t blame me!”
Hearing this, the attendant chuckled.
“Young Master, she said she was going to the Imperial Avenue to see the royal lanterns—those aren’t for just anyone to view,” he remarked.
Imperial Avenue?
Wang Shi’qi and his servants froze.
Lanterns on the Imperial Avenue? That was indeed no ordinary privilege.
“She went to the Imperial Avenue?” Wang Shi’qi asked.
“Yes,” the attendant replied. “I heard the young gentleman accompanying her say so.”
Young gentleman?
Wang Shi’qi’s eyes widened instantly.
“What ‘young gentleman’? Wasn’t she alone?” he demanded.
The attendant shook his head.
“No, she left with a young master,” he said.
She left with another man?
For a moment, Wang Shi’qi and his servants stood dumbfounded.
“That shameless little harlot!” Wang Shi’qi exploded in fury.
To think she’d abandon him and run off with another man!
“After them! I’ll break that adulterous pair’s legs!”
The night had grown late. At Xuande Gate, the frail emperor, urged by his ministers, prepared to return to the palace. He had intended to let the First Prince remain to celebrate with the people, but the Empress Dowager gently reminded him that the prince was still too young to stay up through the night.
“I shall remain here,” offered Duke Jin’an, who had been standing at the city walls observing the lantern festivities.
“I want to stay too!” cried the Second Prince, already wrapped in his cloak.
Not to be outdone, the First Prince added, “Father, I can also keep watch!”
Their pleas drew laughter from both the emperor and the Empress Dowager.
“Let Wei-lang stay,” the emperor finally decided. “As for you two, you’re still young—return to the palace with me.”
“I want to stay!” The Second Prince continued to protest stubbornly.
“You’re practically attached to Wei-lang every single day—what’s the harm in being apart for just this moment?” The Empress Dowager chuckled, beckoning him over. “Come now, you’ve been clinging to him all evening. Let him enjoy the fireworks in peace for a while.”
“Go on,” Duke Jin’an whispered into the Second Prince’s ear as he lifted him into his arms. “Visit the Empress instead. Since she couldn’t come out tonight, you can tell her all about the excitement.”
Only then did the Second Prince nod in agreement.
Attendants swiftly stepped forward to take the child. After acknowledging the bows of the ministers below, the emperor and his retinue turned to make their way back to the palace.
As the emperor departed, the ministers who had been seated alongside him on the city gate also took their leave. Xuande Gate grew quiet, while the streets below became even more bustling.
Duke Jin’an remained at the edge, his gaze fixed intently below. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, the corners of his mouth lifting as a slow smile spread across his face.
Finally, she’s here…
On the Imperial Avenue, illuminated by the glow of fireworks and towering lantern displays, a girl stepped past the guards and made her way inside.
“Look! There she is!”
One of the attendants shouted.
From Desheng Pavilion to the bridgehead, then back from the bridgehead to Desheng Pavilion, and now chasing all the way here—Wang Shi’qi felt like he had walked more in this single night than in his entire life. Gasping for breath, he hunched over with hands on his knees, unable to straighten up.
At the attendant’s cry, he forced himself upright with the man’s support and looked ahead.
They had reached the entrance to the Imperial Avenue. The crowd here was noticeably thinner than elsewhere, giving him a clear view of the figures up ahead.
The young lady turned her head to glance back at a noble young master behind her. Under the dazzling glow of lantern displays even more resplendent than elsewhere, her features shone bright and vivid.
“That little hussy!” Wang Shi’qi shouted. But before his words fully left his mouth, he saw the young nobleman behind Cheng Jiao-niang turn slightly and raise his head to admire the lantern display beside them.
Oh, it’s him!
Wang Shi’qi immediately let out a sigh of relief.
“You scared me to death—turns out it’s just family,” he said.
His attendants looked puzzled.
“Young Master, you know him?” they asked.
“Of course, that’s the young master of the Zhou family,” Wang Shi’qi replied, exhaling in relief. So that’s how it was—he couldn’t possibly be so unlucky as to have his betrothed stolen away.
The attendants also relaxed visibly.
So she hadn’t been stolen away, nor abducted—she’d simply run into family.
“But Young Master,” an older attendant suddenly remarked, “the Zhou family are just low-ranking military officers—how could they possibly have secured a spot on the Imperial Avenue?”
Right. Though Wang Shi’qi was an outsider, he knew full well what the Imperial Avenue represented.
How could a mere Zhou family be allowed to enjoy the lantern festival right under the emperor’s nose?
Was this really the “ordinary military family” that the Cheng family and his father had described?
Wang Shi’qi’s eyes widened as he watched the scene ahead. The young lady was now surrounded by a crowd of ladies who had converged from all directions—women of varying ages, all wearing identical expressions of joy and familiarity.
“How does this fool know so many people?” he muttered in disbelief.
As he instinctively stepped forward, guards immediately barked a warning.
This was the emperor’s domain, patrolled by armored soldiers whose authority carried lethal weight—any trespasser would be cut down without hesitation.
Wang Shi’qi and his men hastily halted, explaining they were searching for someone and invoking the Zhou family’s name.
“Wait here. We’ll inquire,” a soldier snapped. “Step back—further back!”
Shoved into retreat, they finally stabilized their footing several paces away. Lifting their heads, they saw the girl still enveloped in laughter and chatter.
Or rather, others were laughing and chatting at her.
“I thought you weren’t coming!” Chen Dan-niang clung to Cheng Jiao-niang’s sleeve, refusing to let go for even a moment.
“Where did you go? Who were you meeting?” Chen Shi’ba-niang asked with a smile, glancing at Qin Shi’san-lang, who still stood nearby.
Qin Shi’san-lang shook his head, laughing softly.
“My fiancé,” Cheng Jiao-niang replied.
Fiancé!
Not just Chen Shi’ba-niang—all the other young women froze in shock.
See? This is how she is. She never hides anything, utterly forthright.
Fiancé…
For the first time, the term sounded… rather pleasing to the ear.
Qin Shi’san-lang lowered his gaze and exhaled. Just then, someone stepped over and nudged him lightly.
“Lady Cheng.”
Madam Qin spoke with a smile, gently waving her fan.
“You’re here at last! Come, come—I have something to discuss with you.”
“No, no! Lady Cheng is coming with us!” Chen Dan-niang protested, clinging stubbornly to Cheng Jiao-niang’s arm.
“Aunt Qin, why not join us at our place instead?” Chen Shi’ba-niang suggested cheerfully, linking arms with Cheng Jiao-niang on the other side.
“You little minxes—daring to steal my guest right under my nose!” Madam Qin tapped her fan in mock reproach but followed nonetheless. “Do you think just because I’m older, I won’t fight for her?”
At her approach, Chen Dan-niang and Chen Shi’ba-niang giggled, pulling Cheng Jiao-niang ahead with hurried steps.
The street echoed with the laughter of women.
Watching the laughing crowd heading toward the Chen family’s tent, Madam Zhou, who had been standing to the side, slowly lowered her hand.
Well, I might as well continue enjoying the lanterns on my own. After all, others seem to take better care of my niece than I do.
“Master Zhou, someone claims to be from your household and is asking to enter,” a guard interrupted.
Inside the tent, Master Zhou—contentedly drinking with his sons and brothers—paused mid-celebration.
“Someone from my household?” Master Zhou asked, puzzled.
Everyone from his family was already here, and those who weren’t had no business coming.
“They said their surname is Wang,” the guard replied.
Wang?
After a brief moment of confusion, realization dawned on Master Zhou, and he curled his lip in disdain.
“Don’t know him. Tell him to get lost,” he said flatly.
The guard acknowledged the order and left.
“What kind of nonsense is this? How dare he come here,” Master Zhou muttered angrily, downing his wine in one gulp before immediately brightening again. “Come, come—refill the cups! Let’s keep this going!”
Wang Shi’qi-lang and his entourage were unceremoniously driven far away before they could finally stop.
“If you dare cause trouble again, you’ll be treated as bandits!” the soldiers shouted, jabbing warning fingers in their direction.
Fuming, Wang Shi’qi-lang hopped in rage, held back firmly by his attendants.
“Young Master, this is the capital—right in front of Xuande Gate! We can’t afford to act recklessly here,” they urged.
Grinding his teeth, Wang Shi’qi-lang stomped his foot in frustration.
“That damned Zhou is going too far!” he roared. “Let’s go.”
As he turned to leave, his attendants quickly followed—though a couple couldn’t resist glancing back after a few steps.
“Seems like that Cheng family’s fool isn’t entirely neglected in the Zhou household after all… In fact, she seems to know quite a lot of people…” they muttered under their breath.
It appeared that, apart from her lifelong dull-wittedness, they might have known far too little about this Cheng family’s young lady…
